Latch.



W. B. SCHUELER.

LAT

APPLICATION FILE .23. I917. 1,274,610. Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

f IE.

WILLIAM nscnunmin, or. Susanne, l

LATCH.

specifi o :Ba c r t. Patented Aug. 6, 1918'.

Application filed August 23, 1917. Serial No. 187,827.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. SGHUE- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to latches, and is more especially adapted for use on barn doors and similar closures. It possesses certain novel features by means of which it is automatically operated upon the door being closed. It is also simple in construction and is reversible, so as to be readily attached at either edge of a door.

The construction, arrangement and operation of the mechanical parts of my device will more fully appear from the following specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying the same, in which:

Figure 1 shows my invention in side elevation, in position as when in use. Fig.

2 is a longitudinal section thereof on the broken line 03-00 of Fig. 1, with the door slightly ajar.

1 represents a portion of a door, near the movable edge thereof, and 2 a part of the adjacent frame. 3 is a hasp, provided at its inner end with a finger 4, slidable in a perforation in a guide-plate 5 fixed to the face of the door. The outward movement of the hasp 3 is limited by means of a lug 6 on the end of the finger 4, which comes in contact with the plate 5 at the end of the outward movement of said hasp. Near its outer end the hasp 3 passes through an opening in a guide-plate 7, fixed to the door 1, and the projecting end of said hasp is provided with a longitudinal slot 8, adapted to engage a catch 9 projecting outwardly from a plate 10 secured to the frame 2 at the edge thereof. When the door is nearly closed the shoulder at the inner end of the slot 8 comes in contact with a curved edge 11 of the catch 9, drawing the hasp 3 inwardly and causing the bar 12 of the hasp to engage the notch in the catch 9, and be held thereby, as shown in Fig. 1. By this means if the door is pushed shut with sufficient force by the hand or foot of the operator, the hasp will automatically engage the catch and lock the door from opening.

In case the hasp 3 is in an inward position when the door is closed the bar 12 strikes against the nose 13 of the catch 9 and is forced outwardly thereby until it clears the same, as shown in Fig. 2. It is then drawn inwardly again by contact with the curve 11, as above set forth. The length of the slot 8 must necessarily be such that when the bar 12 has nearly passed the nose 13 of the catch the inner end of such slot will begin to engage the curved edge 11. To release the hasp the operation is reversed, such hasp being moved outwardly a little until the bar 12 passes the catch.

For convenience in operating there is secured to the hasp 3 a handle 14. The catch 9 is also provided with an opening 15, for attachment of a padlock, to hold the hasp in a locked position. When in this position the fastening means of the plates 5 and 10 from the opposite, or inner side of the door,

there is fixed thereto a pin 16 passing through an opening 17 in the door. By pressing such pin outwardly and toward the edge of the door the hasp is released from the catch.

It will be obvious that the hasp 3 and plate 10 can be inverted, so as to operate Equally as well at the opposite edge of the oor.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a hasp provided at one of its ends with a guide member and at its opposite end with a longitudinal slot; a guide-plate for said guide-member, adapted to be secured to the face of a door; and a catch adapted for attachment to the frame of such door, having a curved edge adapted to engage one end of said slot and draw said hasp inwardly into locked position.

2. In a device of the class described, a hasp slidably mounted on a door and provided at its outer end With a vcatch openin g In testimony whereof I afiix my signature and a catch adapted for attachment to. the in the presence of two Witnesses. framecf such Cl (5'01" and having bpbo sitely i 5 r1 curved edges for successive engagement with VILLIAM SLHUELLR' said opening, to Inqve seidhesp figst out- \Vitnesses:

wardly and then inwa'fdly inf" lccke'd 196 W. N. messes;

sition. FRANK W. HASKELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fixze cents a ejh, hy addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

